


The Peculiar Case of One Jason Dean

by penguinpatrolerarmy



Category: Heathers (1988)
Genre: Angst, Ethical Dilemmas, Gen, Half-Vampires, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mystery, Spooky, Supernatural Elements, Urban Fantasy, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-07-16 08:05:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16081961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinpatrolerarmy/pseuds/penguinpatrolerarmy
Summary: Moody 17 year old Jason Dean somehow managed to bite off more than he could chew upon entering Sherwood, Ohio. But, really, being a Vampire always managed to cause him trouble one way or another.





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [penguinpatrolerarmy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinpatrolerarmy/pseuds/penguinpatrolerarmy) in the [Heathers_Fanfic_Challenge](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Heathers_Fanfic_Challenge) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Moody 17 year old Jason Dean somehow managed to bite off more than he could chew upon entering Sherwood, Ohio. But, really, being a Vampire always managed to cause him trouble one way or another.

Jason Dean woke up that morning with a bit of dread... It was going to be another fucking school in another shithole town, it seemed. He slammed his alarm, rising stiffly and looking just about as dead as he felt. He wasn't... He was still too young to be considered Dead. But, hey, He's a 17 year old Vampire. People tend to ask about it when they figure it out.

He changed into something more presentable for the day, which included his Trench coat. Though, it was a bit more special than that. It was charmed in such a way that as long as he wore it the sun couldn't harm him. Which was especially necessary because the sun would kill him (Plus it was more practical than an umbrella). He pulled out the necklace he'd fallen asleep in from under his shirt. It wasn't too flashy, despite the bright blue apatite it displayed... He hated wearing it, but he couldn't exactly take it off either.

JD could hear his father moving around downstairs. A sound which made him even more displeased. Still, he knew better than to avoid him. He was too smart for him to try. He took a deep breath, and made his way downstairs. He tried to advert his eyes from Bud Dean's cold, unpleasant gaze... He never liked looking at him for too long. There wasn't any comfort in his eyes. They were completely opposite to what his mom's eyes had been. Though, really, he should expect that by now. 

"Gee Dad, I think I'm running it a little close here." His father spat at him.

"Well Son, it's not like you'll die from a motorcycle accident if you speed." He replied, searching through the fridge for something. "What happened too the sheep blood we had stocked, I thought you needed that for today?"

"I think I must've drunken all of it... But hey, I could just take a sandwich like a normal kid, Can't I Dad?"

This wasn't true, of course. JD knew for a fact he had at least a few days worth left... But knowing his dad he probably threw out the bags sometime last night. He just grumbled, making a quick PB&J. He didn't mind regular food but it didn't sustain him as well. He didn't get enough energy from it to live without blood for very long. He'd probably at least last until 7 or 8 tonight... After that he'd start having issues.

"Say Dad, It's not to cold out today... Maybe I oughta leave without my coat."

"Well, Son. That sounds like a stupid idea considering it's the only thing keeping the sun from turning you into a pile of ashes."

He'd tried explaining these things to his Father, many times, but he either didn't listen or didn't give a shit. No, it was definitely the second one. Bud Dean essentially treated Vampirism like something that could be completely disregarded and instead would rather force his son to 'behave normally'. JD himself wasn't sure what he meant by 'normal', and he was certain he'd never find out the specifics of it. But, the one thing he did learn was that normality wasn't kind to vampires. 

JD wrapped the sandwich in some plastic wrap and started to make his way out the door. But, before he got the chance, Bud had walked up and grabbed his arm.

"Y'know, Dad, I feel like I'm forgetting something..." 

"Well, Son, I'm not a fucking mind reader." JD grumbled. His father just stared him down with that displeased and almost terrifying look of his. He usually got it when their little pronoun game started getting on his nerves. Then, he shoved something into JD's hands.

"Fix those damn teeth of yours. No one wants to look at that shit." He murmured, deciding to forgo their usual turn-of-phrase. JD glanced down, and soon realized he was holding a file. He gulped quietly.

"Y-Yeah... Sure thing... I gotta get going now though. I'll do it before class." Bud seemed unconvinced, but let him leave regardless.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you." He grumbled. looked fairly tired and probably just didn't want to deal with more than he had to, Which was good for JD because that meant he could get away quicker.

JD shut the front door of the house. He stared down at the file another moment, Then looked to his necklace... It wasn't glowing. He looked out the window... Bud wasn't there.

He chucked the file into one of the bushes in front of the house... He could retract his fangs if he needed. It wasn't pleasant to hold them like that very long but it was better than basically wrecking them for however many months it'd take to sharpen them back (Experience said 3 and a half... No way he was going through that again). He pulled his Motorcycle out of the garage and made his way to school... Letting the breeze offer it's temporary distraction.

* * *

He arrived at school somewhat unceremoniously, having almost rammed into some jock who wasn't paying attention. They yelled at him about something, but JD had already been drowning them out at that point. He didn't really particularly care enough about their insults and curses. 

For the most part, his day had been somewhat uneventful. He'd gotten his scheduled from some student counselor dressed up in the most 60's outfit you could find in the 80's. He didn't bother with her name. All he really remembered of the conversation was something about how dark clothing "Makes you depressed." He wasn't really listening to her. he'd heard it 6 times from 6 other counselors, he didn't particularly care about the 7th.

His classes weren't really particularly interesting either... The only really notable thing that had happened was this one girl in his history class who'd everyone else seemed to also stare at... Apparently her name was Heather. And JD already figured out where this was going. There was going to be some over-popular clique, just like every other school, that ran the place and looked down upon those they thought were unworthy of anything even slightly positive.

Come lunchtime, he'd seemed to have been proven right. Some group of 4, apparently their clique was dubbed "The Heathers" by the student body. They probably were all named Heather or something... That would explain the name. Though really, he didn't care. He barely knew them and already he just didn't care. He just silently observed them from the corner of the room, where the sunlight didn't hit it. Sure, he was protected, but that didn't mean he particularly liked it.

He noticed this other girl in the group, who seemed pretty reluctant about being there. He quietly observed her... She was kind of cute, but he didn't dwell on it too much. He didn't wanna get attached to someone.

She gazed over at him... Their eyes locking for a brief moment... It was kind of nice...

 _'No, JD.'_  He told himself, _'You're gonna be gone before you know it... You'll just end up hurting yourself if you get involved.'_

She flashed him an amused smirk, then turned away to deal with the other three... Then they all left together, like a pack of ducks. He'd say wolves but, honestly, ducks were more savage. He hummed to himself in amusement... Then picked a bit at his sandwich. He wasn't too interested in eating it. He knew he should, but he really didn't want to.

He ended up staring at it for a while... He hadn't even realized how long it'd been until he heard the bell ring. He re-wrapped the sandwich, once again stuffing it into his coat pocket. He should have just tossed it but, he wasn't in the mood. Maybe he'd come to terms with it later and actually try.

JD sighed, roaming down the halls and not making eye contact with anyone. He'd stuffed both of his hands into his pockets. In one, was the neglected sandwich. In the other was a piece of paper that definitely hadn't been there before. He stepped aside, shielding himself behind a set of lockers, and pulled it out. It looked like it had been folded up in a hurry, and the handwriting on the inside was just as sloppy. But, it was the words that were written that really caught his attention.

_Don't go to 5th period. They have something planned._

_-V_

He lifted his brow in confusion. It was very vague, and a bit cryptic... Whoever this 'V' was, they were very blunt. His next class was only his 4th period though, so he supposedly had time to mull over it a little.

JD mostly just thought about why someone would write that note in the first place. Did someone figure him out? He hadn't been acting too strangely but maybe someone noticed something he didn't. Or maybe it was just some kid who overheard something and actually wanted to give him a warning... Or maybe they were tricking him into thinking something was going to happen in class when they just wanted him to be easier to find... Or maybe they just wanted him to get in trouble for skipping... or maybe-

The bell rang again. JD slipped out of his chair, gazing at the note again... His father probably would be indifferent if he skipped class... But, there was still the possibility that they wanted him to skip class.

...Maybe he was just paranoid about it. He hid out in the halls, letting the bell ring and other kids scramble into their classrooms. He had himself wedged in a gap between two sets of lockers. He pulled the sandwich back out, reluctantly giving it a few small bites... Well, not before he sucked all the jelly out. It was usually how he ate them. The only reason he included any Jelly was for the purpose of letting the bread absorb it so he could sip it until it was dry again. Sure, it was strange, but it kept him entertained.

"So you did get my note?" A voice said. He nearly jumped up from his spot, his head shooting up. The girl from the cafeteria was in front of him. She'd knelt down to his level and the two of them were about eye-to-eye.

"Uh, Yeah..." JD mumbled back.

"I'm sorry It wasn't more informative but, I was in a bit of a hurry..." She said, relaxing her position for a bit, "You not eat at lunch or something?"

JD glanced at her for a moment. "...Why are you here?" He said, avoiding her inquiry.

The girl blinked, then shrugged. "Eh, wanted to be sure you were alright... I didn't know if you'd actually listen to my warning or not."

 "I almost didn't just cause it was vague... Who was 'they' supposed to be referring to?"

"Kurt Kelly and Ram Sweeney... They like to think of themselves as the top dogs around here so usually they give anyone they don't like a quick beating after class."

"Ah, I presume they turn every conversation into a measurement contest then?"

"Exactly. You catch on quick, huh?"

"Kind of. I've done this thing 6 times before so, It's just muscle memory by this point." JD said with a shrug. "Though, I will say this is the first time I've had someone help me avoid confronting the top dogs... How'd you get my scheduel anyways?"

"I didn't... But I knew Ms. Flemming only teaches during certain times of the day, and you weren't in either of her previous classes. And, Since you were in Heather Mac's History class that meant you had to be a Junior... Which meant, again, you had to be in at least one of Flemming's classes. And this is the last one she teaches, which also includes two seniors who flunked the class last year and had to retake..." She Explained. JD tilted his head slightly... He was a little impressed by that.

"You must be at the top of the class in brains and popularity, huh?" He remarked.

"I guess you could say that," The girl chuckled. "I'm Veronica by the way... Sawyer." She stuck out her hand in a friendly manner. He reached out, giving it a pat rather than shaking it. He wasn't really one to hold hands with someone.

"JD."

"Just initials?" Veronica questioned, staring at her hand for a moment.

"I'll be gone by the end of the year," He shrugged, "No point in learning the whole thing."

"Well, I wish you luck at Westerberg... For whatever amount of time you'll be needing it."

"...Thank you."

Veronica stood up for a moment, preparing to leave. "By the way, I promise not to tell anyone, but you might wanna hide your fangs better."

JD froze... Right... He'd used his fangs to hold the sandwich still. He retracted them back, letting them rest neatly in his gums.

"How do I know you won't tell?" He said in a bit of an accusative tone.

Veronica shrugged. "It's not my thing. I hang out with a bunch of popular kids but... It's more like a day job, y'know? Plus, you seem like a chill guy."

"It's probably cause I don't make enough blood." He joked. He didn't find it funny, but she laughed at it anyways. 

"Yeah. Well, I'll see ya around, JD."

And with that, Veronica left back down the halls. JD watched as she got further and further away, eventually disappearing behind a corner. He found himself smiling again... Then frowned. He was letting himself get attached... Nothing good ever came of that.

He gazed down at his necklace, noticing a faint glow emitting from it. He brought the stone up to his lips.

"... Gee, son, Maybe I ought to give you some privacy when you're flirting." He grumbled. The glowing ceased, light leaving the apatite and leaving it as it had been the night before. 

He'd probably have to deal with that later. No, he'd _definitely_  have to deal with that later... He always did.


	2. Night One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of child abuse/control stuff in this one so read with caution.

One might call JD unwise to just go home. He knew his father overheard some part of the conversation... He wasn't sure how much though. Not that it mattered, He'd really only care about 2 things: 

  1. That JD disobeyed him.
  2. That someone else knew about JD's... "Condition"



Or at least, Bud always referred to it as a condition... He treated it like he treats the buildings he demolishes.... no scratch that, the buildings probably were treated better than he was. At least people cared about them and would try to stop him from tearing them down. But, there were no protests for young Jason Dean. No one tried to help him, and if they did Bud would make them disappear...

Usually that referred to something illegal.

JD approached his house, fatigue starting to wash over him. He walked in, drank some water from the sink, and made his way back to his bedroom. He could hear his Hamster's wheel squeaking away as the little guy ran along it. He smirked a little at it.

"You're just content no matter where we go, huh buddy?"

The hamster stopped running and looked up at him. JD liked to imagine it was responding to the question, but he knew it probably just thought it was getting fed. Which, now that JD thought about it, needed to be done. He pulled out a box from under his bed, grabbing some food pellets and carefully filling the little bowl in it's cage. The rodent scurried over, stuffing it's happy little face. 

"Yeah... At least someone in this house is well fed." JD mumbled. The still unnamed hamster gazed up at him again, then went back to it's food... It wasn't like JD didn't want to name it, he just never found the right one... For a few days, it'd been Ronald. Then Fluffy. Then for a moment he considered settling on Nibbles. But, he never settled on anything. 

He laid in his bed for a few hours... Trying not to use up too much energy. He could feel his body growing hungrier and more restless as time passed, but there wasn't much he could do about it right now. He didn't know the layout of the town well enough. He should have had a few days to figure it out but, alas, he had not a drop of blood to spare.

He curled up, clutching his stomach...

He heard the door slam downstairs. His hamster jumped in it's cage. JD slipped out of his bed, walking over to the cage and covering it with a blanket and some books... He could hear footsteps down the hall growing closer and closer. It was inevitable, he knew. He just wanted to spare the poor unsuspecting rodent from having to see any of it. 

Bud swung open the door, staring down his son. JD stood in place, not moving an inch from the center of the room. His father trudged in slowly.

"Say Pop... I know you said to file down my teeth, but I kept them anyways." Bud said with a much too joyful tone.

"W-Well Son, you can retract them... I know that for a fact." JD replied, shaking in his coat.

"Ah but... I still disobeyed you. You said specifically to File em down..."

"...Yeah... That's true, son..."

"And someone else also saw them... Which was why you wanted em gone in the first place... Isn't it, Pop?"

JD didn't respond, his throat felt like it was closing in. Bud was circling him now, that sick smile of his still on his face. 

"Well, since I can't do it myself... I suppose you'll have to do it for me." He said, pulling the same file from that morning out of his back pocket. JD backed away a little.

Bud Lunged at him.

He dove, just barely able to dodge the attack.

The curtain in the window fell, revealing the night sky. JD scrambled back to his feet, undoing the latch and lifting the glass. Bud got up, grabbing his arm.

"Quit tryin' to fight it, Jason... It's for the best." He grumbled. JD struggled, breaking away for just a second...

It was all he needed.

He leaped out the window... His body shifting until his form became that of a small bat. He fell for only a moment, Then quickly swooped upwards.

"Jason! You get back here!" His father yelled. JD ignored it, fluttering away to the other side of the house. He could hold that form longer but, realistically, his bike was less suspicious to others. Plus he'd be able to leave it somewhere to throw off Bud for a bit. 

JD shifted back to his normal form, ran to it, and wasted no time speeding off. He didn't once glance back. He wasn't even really glancing forward. He barely knew where he was going, he just wanted to get away. 

His body had more energy at night, but he could still feel his fatigue hitting him hard. He noticed a convenience store nearby... "Snappy Snack Shack". Maybe he could get a slushy or something to hold him down... Or maybe there'd be some Raccoons digging around in the shadows he could snack on. 

He parked his bike out front, exhaustion hitting him with every step he took... He felt like his brain was slipping from him, but he did his best to keep it in place. He walked up to cashier.

"Hey where's your slushy machine?" He asked. The cashier stared at him... Oh no, he knew that look... His fangs were still out. JD covered his mouth, sheepishly drawing them back.

"They're fake." He lied, hoping the guy would buy it.

"No they weren't." The cashier said _matter-of-fact_ ly. He held his jaw open, drawing out his own fangs.

JD gasped. "You too?"

"Yep... Damn, you look terrible. You're folks starve ya or something?"

"Yeah." JD said plainly. The cashier grimaced.

"Fuck man... Okay, stay right there... I'm gonna get you something." He left behind the counter, into a small room in the back. Then, he reemerged a few moments later with a large cup... and what looked to be a slushy.

"Here, drink up." He said, handing it to JD. The boy took a sip.... Then practically devoured half the cup in a single go... It was cow blood. Cold and icy, but cow blood nonetheless. 

"Whoa, slow down buster... You're gonna make yourself sick." He warned. JD stopped for a moment, trying to pace himself.

"Why's it like this?" He asked.

"I keep it an old Machine in the basement... The texture's a little weird but it keeps it fresh."

"Man, I don't even care... I'm just hungry... Where'd you get cow-blood?"

"It's Ohio, There's farms around... Every now and then a cow or pig get's out... No one cares to notice if you don't leave evidence." The cashier trailed off. "My name's Tuck, by the way." 

"JD... Thanks for the grub, Tuck. How much you want?" JD already started digging into his pocket. 

"Hey, no... That's on that house. We vamp's gotta look out for each other..." Tuck said, leaning on the counter. "So, you new to Sherwood or just passing through?"

"Bit of both... My dad's here for a couple of demolition jobs, we'll probably be in and out within a month or two."

"Well, I hope you get out soon... This town ain't the friendliest to folks like us."

"What do you mean?"

"Last month some werewolf kid on the south-side of town got driven out, It was pretty brutal. Heard she got stabbed in the shoulder. Apparently she's recovering at a hideaway in the next state over, but I'm not sure how true that is."

JD cringed. He'd been to a few similar towns in his travels... At the most, towns would be passive about things. At their worst, JD just stayed home until they moved again 

"That's shitty..." He mumbled. 

"Yeah... I had to fire someone yesterday cause he was getting... Suspicious. Though I don't think he quite figured it out. I kind of wish I could leave town but, the next place would just be the same... Plus my rent's cheap right now." 

"... Are there any hideaway's here?"

" 'fraid not Kid... There's one in Columbus but it's a few hours by car, Flying's worse this time of year cause of the wind."

JD nodded. Hideaways usually were in unfavorable locations, though that was sometimes just what was needed. He finished off his drink, feeling a bit of relief for the first time since he arrived in Sherwood.

"Hey um... Would it be okay if I kept my bike here overnight? There was someone following me earlier and I don't think it'd be a good idea to have people see me."

"Sure... While you're here would you like a map of the farms around here? In case you need it?"

"Oh... Yeah that'd be nice." 

Tuck once more disappeared. JD rested by the counter, not really paying too much attention. He noticed a faint glow come from his necklace... Though it disappeared quickly. Bud wasn't listening yet, but he definitely was trying to track him down. 

Tuck walked back in.

"Alright so: Farms are in green, Spots you should avoid at all costs are in red, and I marked my current house in blue... You're welcome to come if you ever need a safe-place to hide out for a bit." 

"Thanks, I gotta get going now... I think I saw that guy pass by." JD mumbled, leaving almost as quickly as he had entered. 

He ducked into a dark corner next to a store, taking a quick glance around to make sure no one was looking (Other than Bud, anyways, but he couldn't do anything about that for the time being). He felt the wind pick up briefly, and remembered what Tuck had said about it. He almost was hesitant, but his mind had been made by that point.

He transformed once again, fluttering off in an unknown direction. 

* * *

Veronica leaned over her desk, staring down at her diary.

_Heather Chandler needs to be taken down a few pegs._

These were the only words written at the moment. It was the truth, but at the same time she wasn't sure how to finish off that thought. Still, she aimlessly wrote again.

_She was going on about how weird the new kid, JD, was acting today. She doesn't even have any classes with him. He's not even weird, he's just a vampire. He acts this way cause it's what he needs to do._

She stopped to tap her pen a few moments, then continued.

_I talked with him earlier today. He seems just like any other kid at this school... Well, actually, so far he's better than most kids at school._

She leaned back in her chair, letting her muddled brain settle for a few minutes. Then she shut her book. It became apparent that tonight was not going to be a good night for writing. Not that she didn't have things she wanted to say, she just couldn't find the right way to word them at the moment. She closed her eyes, listening to the wind blow outside.

There was a thud at her window, which immediately struck her as odd considering it was wide open. She knew it wasn’t her cat, either (He usually was asleep around this time). Veronica shut her Diary, and started to investigate the scene.

Her curtain moved, both with and against the wind. Veronica grabbed the fabric, carefully unraveling a section that had bunched up together. Much to her surprise, a tiny bat fell out and landed on the floor. Veronica stared at it a moment. The bat pushed itself up and stared back.

“…Is that you, JD?” She asked. The bat folded it’s wings into itself, it’s form shifted until it became less bat-like and more like that of a human. JD stood up and brushed off his coat

“I apologize for my dreadful etiquette,” He said, “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“It’s alright, no harm done…” She assured, “I thought Vampires couldn’t enter a house without being invited in?”

JD gave her a look, then rolled his eyes.

“That’s just a myth.” He said without any real emotion behind it.

“Oh.” Veronica mumbled, “So um… you fly into Windows often or just for girls you’ve just met?”

“I can safely say that is the first time I’ve ever flown into a window other than my own… Really I was just looking for somewhere to wait the night out.”

“Do you not need sleep?”

“No, I do… I’m supposed to get it during the day, but my dad makes me to to school so usually I’m working off of 4 hours. I’ve tried sleeping earlier but I get too much energy from the moon and once I’m up it’s kind of hard to fall back asleep.”

“That sucks… I’m not much of a sleeper myself. I’m usually expected to be at some big party surrounded by people i barely know, slightly drunk and wishing I’d been anywhere else afterwards.”

“That sucks.” JD stretched his arms, trying to relax them, “I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”

“Nah, I'm fine. If anything I’m worried about you being uncomfortable considering you literally crashed into my room.”

“I’m fine… I just-” he stopped suddenly. Veronica stared, expecting him to continue.

“You okay?” She asked.

JD grabbed a stray piece of paper off of her desk, checking to make sure it was blank. Then he scribbling something onto it and handed it over. Veronica read through it.

**_My dad makes me wear this charmed necklace. It tells him where I am at all times and let’s him listen in on conversations. It’s activated right now and I don’t want him to hear us talking._ **

Veronica looked back up at JD. He had an almost ashamed look across his face. She took note of the bright glow the necklace emitted, and frowned.

_I’m sorry… He has no right to do that to you._ She wrote back.

_**Doesn’t matter. Someone made him think he did, and that’s all it took.** _

_Can’t you take it off?_

_**If I do then it’ll just send him wherever I am so he he can punish me... I dunno what kind of magic made it but it's some strong shit.** _

_What kind of fucked up person would make something like that._

_**Someone who hates Vampires, Someone who doesn't trust their kid who is a vampire, or unfortunately someone who falls under both of those. More unfortunately, my Dad is the third one.** _

_Damn… Why is he looking for you right now?_

JD paused for a moment. He looked hesitant about responding, but he continued.

_**I told him I’d file down my teeth before school. I didn't cause it hurts like hell and takes forever to grow back. He checked in on me when we were talking so he probably found out then. He tried to do it himself when he got home but I ran away.** _

“What the actual fuck.” Veronica mumbled. She covered her mouth for a second.

_Sorry._

**_It’s okay… This sounds weird but I’m kind of relieved someone else sees how bad he is. Usually he manages to twist it so he sounds like “Parent of the Year” or some shit. This morning he threw out my blood supply and just told me to deal with regular food... Which doesn't even give me any kind of energy or nutrition._ **

_It doesn't sound weird... You wanna crash here for the night?_

_**I suppose... If I can. Like I said, he’s tracking me, but I did kind of send him on a goose chase for a bit so I’m hoping he tires himself out and gives up… That’s usually what I do to get him off my back.** _

The necklace stopped glowing. The two of them stared at it for a moment.

"...Okay, so either he found me or he gave up." JD stated.

"Which one is it?" Veronica asked.

"Fuck if I know..." 

"Well, whatever it is, I'll help you figure something out." Veronica placed a hand on his shoulder.

"...Why are you being nice to me?" He asked.

"This town is terrible to magic and immortal folk. If I don't try to be nice then I doubt anyone else will."

"Yeah... I met another vamp who told me about that werewolf kid who got driven out."

Veronica visibly cringed. "Yeah... God, they were so shitty to her..." She knew more, but she wasn't up to talk about what happened right now.

"It sounds like it..." He mumbled. Veronica felt kind of bad for him. He was gazing down at the necklace still, almost with resentment. 

"Well, hey, I'm the only one who knows right now... And I already said I wouldn't tell anyone else. So, don't worry too much about that."

"...I'll try not to." JD said. Veronica walked towards her closet.

"You wanna help me set up the guest mat?" She asked. JD looked up.

"Oh, yeah." He mumbled, joining her almost immediately. He still was keeping an eye on his necklace. He clearly was afraid of in to some degree. Veronica felt a bit upset about that. Not only was the whole situation shitty, but the fact that he seemed used to it was... Maybe she could ask Heather about it tomorrow, she knew a few things about charms.

But, for now, Veronica would just have to help JD with what she could. She only hoped it'd be enough for now...

* * *

Bud leaned back in his car, glancing over his map again... Yep, he was in the right place... His son had been in that spot for a while, but the timing of everything wasn't ideal. It'd be too much of a red flag if he walked up to the doorstep and asked about his son right now... Hell the folks living there probably don't even know he's there.

He took a long drag from his cigarette, blowing it out the window. He was too tired to continue with this, which he knew Jason was probably trying to accomplish. 

"I hope you're at least proud of yourself Jason," He said to no one, "Not that it matters, you'll be back tomorrow afternoon whether you want to be or not." 

Bud drove away... Back to another temporary house. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always welcomed :)


	3. Routines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loving all the feedback I've been getting on this work... Sorry I haven't been responding to all the comments but I assure you I appreciate all of them :D

JD wasn't quite awake yet. He just sort of laid down on the mat, stretching his limbs. Sleep had long been warded away, yet consciousness was just as far. His hand felt weird... Probably because it was outstretched further from his body...

No, there was something else... He couldn't quite place the sensation. That is, until he realized how rapidly uncomfortable it was becoming. Pain shot through JD's body to the point where he jolted back. Sunlight had crept through the window and past the curtains, perfectly hitting a spot just above where his head had been laying. He gripped his hand, wearily looking over it... It was very dry, almost a little flakey, but it looked like JD managed to catch it before any permanent damage had been done. It was still solid, he could still move it. Though, needless to say, he'd gotten lucky about it this time...

He grabbed his coat, not willing to further his chances, and curled into it. The burn on his hand was irritating, he buried it into his armpit in an attempt to ease . Though it was a very ineffective method. For a moment, he glanced over at Veronica. Though, he quickly looked away. It was weird to watch people sleep, he reminded himself.

Not a few moments later, a loud alarm went off. There was a groan from the bed, and a click from the clock. JD looked over again, and this time Veronica was looking back.

"You sleep okay?" She asked with a bit of a yawn.

"Yeah... Wish I could say the same about waking up." He replied, motioning to the beam of light that sliced the room in half. Veronica grimaced.

"Shit, You're not missing any limbs or anything, right?"

"Nah... The ash thing isn't instantaneous. It takes a little while. My hand's burned but it'll be fine."

"You want a first aid kit or something?"

"Uh... Yeah, sure."

Veronica pushed herself out of the bed, shut the curtain properly, and went to dig the kit out of her closet. She tossed it over once she'd located it. JD caught it, and started to work on mending his injury.

"Is that gonna effect your ability to fly?" Veronica asked, taking a seat next to him.

"...I'm not sure." JD admitted, rubbing some cream on his hand. "I guess I'll cross that bridge when it comes again later tonight..."

"Tonight?"

"Yeah, I can only do the bat thing when it's night."

"Oh... Like a werewolf?"

"Not really... Were-folk only turn under a full moon and don't have much control over it. I can do it any night with free will. "

"Gotcha. Sorry I'm not like... Fully educated about these things. I've mostly gotten information from others about immortals and stuff, and even then Ohio is probably the worst place to find any accurate info when it's not coming from an actual immortal."

"It's fine. You haven't said anything offensive yet... I'm a bit of a weird case in terms of immortals anyhow... I cause more questions than I can answer."

Veronica raised an eyebrow at this statement. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, for starters, my parents were both mortals."

"Really?"

"Yeah... I dunno. I guess the cards were right. Somewhere deep in their forgotten linage there was a common link to ol' Vlad, and I just happened to get that from both of them."

"And they're still alive?"

"Well... my Dad is. And I'm only 17, why do you think I'm in High School?"

Veronica blinked, thinking back over her conclusions. Then she replied.

"I dunno... I thought maybe it was just part of your cover? Like, you were hiding that you were a vampire so..."

"Yeah but, that's for personal safety." JD informed,"Honestly it'd still be safer to just not go to public school. But, my dad says I have to... And that's one of many things I'm not willing to argue about or go against." His voiced had quieted down to a murmur towards the end.

Veronica wasn't really sure how to respond to that. So, instead, she gave his shoulder few gentle pats. A part of her just felt like she needed to try to offer some kind of... reassurance? She wasn't sure if that was the right word for this, but she'd settle on it for now.

He looked over at her with a bit of an odd expression, but his lips upturned into a small smile. JD finished tying off the bandages, giving his hand a few experimental flexes. It still hurt like hell, he'd probably try to avoid using it today if it could be helped. He'd definitely be hiding it from his father... It'd just give him another reason to talk over him.

"You need anything else while you're here?" Veronica asked.

"Uh, no... Thank you." He replied, "I think I should get going..."

"You don't have to leave, I can give you a ride to school if you want."

"No, I've intruded enough. Plus, I left my motorbike somewhere last night and need to get it back."

"Alright... My parents should be gone by now so you can leave out the front door."

"You sure?"

"Well, unless you fancy jumping out my window." Veronica joked.

"It wouldn't be the first time." JD replied just as slyly.

Veronica walked him to the door, at one point stopping to hold back her cat... Who for whatever reason really didn't like JD. He brushed it off, saying something about "Cat's knowing too much." That said, JFK was a pretty grumpy kitten in general.

"Oh," Veronica perked suddenly, "Before I forget... There's this other immortal, at school... a Charmer? Do you want me to ask her about that necklace?"

JD looked at her with an almost unreadable expression, though if she had to guess she'd say somewhere between shocked and pleasantly surprised. "You... You know a charmer?"

"Yeah... If you don't want me to meddle anymore in your life, I get it... But I figured I'd ask."

"No, Please meddle! Ask her... You're serious?" He seemed excited, though calmed himself down.

"Would say it if I wasn't..."

"If... If you can ask her, that'd be great." 

"I'll see you at school, right?" She said, standing in the doorway.

"I suppose I don't have anything better to do." He mumbled, "Um, thank you, again. It was nice falling asleep without having to worry about... Things."

"Of course... And if you ever need anything else, don't be afraid to ask."

JD gave her one last smile before heading on his way. She watched him leave for a moment, growing smaller and smaller as he trailed the sidewalk, before checking her clock. She'd have to get going soon, too. Veronica shut her door, set down her unhappy cat, and started her morning routine.

* * *

That routine itself consisted of three things:

  1. Eat
  2. Freshen up (clothes, makeup, ect.)
  3. Pick up the Heathers (If it was her drive week, which it was.)



Breakfast usually passed without much fanfare, save for JFK trying to eat any leftovers he could scrap up (He was a very plump tabby, and yet by his appetite you'd think he was starved).

Getting ready for the rest of her day wasn't too much of a hassle, either. She tried to keep her outfit and school supplies set the night before (Which she had already done before JD popped in)... And she'd grown accustomed to applying her make-up in a quick yet delicate manner.

Then all that was left was to pick up her friends... Duke first, Then Chandler, Than McNamara...

And, surprisingly, the actual car rides weren't actually too bad. For the most part, the four of them just talked about the previous night... Sometimes they'd complain about their dates or parents, or about how lame a party had been that weekend, or just about things they wouldn't dare discuss at school (If it came up). There wasn't always that much talking, sure, but it was at least civil. It wasn't like they were actively trying to put anyone down... yet anyways. Here, for a few good minutes, the air was still...

"So, Veronica, anything interesting happen to you last night?" Heather Chandler asked from the passenger seat. She may have been the second on the route, but that didn't stop her from taking shotgun.

Veronica shrugged. She could tell them the truth, but she wasn't one to go back on her word... Plus, she'd rather have the other two out before she brought any of that up. Charmers were considered more acceptable than Vampires, generally, but Sherwood was still a nasty place to be either in... Let alone any other types of immortal...

"Eh... not much. I went to bed kind of early so if anything did happen I missed it." She lied, not looking away from the road ahead.

"That's a drag." Chandler replied with her usual tone, "What about you, Heather?"

She, of course, was referring to McNamara.

"Ram was being so clingy last night... He just wanted to babble on the phone for hours. I don't even remember what about."

"Ugh... This is exactly why I dumped Peter last year... Trust me, College guys are way less talkative."

"Eh, I think I'll stick with him for a while... At least until he graduates, He's running out of straws though."

Veronica pulled into the school lot, Parking in her usual spot.

"Hey, Heather? Could you stay behind a moment? I need to ask you about something."

Two Heathers left, one remained. She looked at Duke through the mirror, then turned her entire body to face her.

"What do you want?” She huffed.

“I need to ask you about a charm.” Veronica replied.

"Why do you need to know? You can't even preform magic."

"There's this... Kid..."

"...Is it Betty?" Duke asked, her voice quiet.

Veronica shifted uncomfortably at the mention of her name.

"No... I haven't heard from her since... It's someone else. He's kind of in a bad situation and I wanted to look into it for him." 

"Did you tell him about me?" 

"Well, I said I knew a charmer... Just cause I didn't want to do it without his permission. But I didn't tell him who you were..."

There was a lull in the conversation. Duke, like most, preferred to keep her abilities hidden... Though, usually she was fine using them if it was to help someone in a worse situation.

“Is it the Vampire who transferred here yesterday?" Duke inquired slouching back. 

Veronica looked at her with surprise. She almost wanted to deny it, but it wouldn't really help here. “You know?”

“I could sense it the moment I looked at him. It’s not his fault, it’s just in his aura..."

"...Yeah. Look, it's really not... good, from what he's told me. I just wanna get him some information about the charm if you can give it."

Duke thought over it a moment, then sighed.

“What kind of charm we talking about?”

“The kind you place on an object...” Veronica tried... She really knew nothing about the logistics of charming, but she was trying her best.

Duke paused a moment, then motioned for Veronica to continue.

“Okay so: it’s on this gem necklace," Veronica explained, "It keeps track of the kid's every step for another person and also allows them to be listened-in to... You ever hear of anything like that?"

Duke listened intently, though an uncertain expression was across her face the entire time.

"I’m… Not sure," She mumbled, "I’d have to look into my books. I can tell you with certainty that whatever you described is either one very powerful charm, or multiple smaller charms. But, that’s all I can give without looking into it."

Veronica sighed. “Well… can you try to find out tonight?"

"Sure... Why don't you invite him to come to my house after school? We can get more done if there's three of us... Or even just two."

Veronica smiled, that seemed like a good plan. It kept JD away from his dad for a bit, and gave them time to try to find out if they could keep him away.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment.

"...We should probably go inside, huh?" Duke piped.

"Oh, right." Veronica laughed.

They got out of the car, making their way towards the school and towards another day of their routines.

* * *

JD didn't really find much when he'd gotten his bike. Tuck wasn't working the counter anymore, which was a little disappointing. His hopeful side wanted to get another serving of blood before the day ahead. Though, being hopeful never really helped him much in the past. 

Instead, he unceremoniously retrieved his motorbike and road off to school. This time, he managed to avoid any near-collisions in the parking lot. But, really, all that did was add another bit of longing to another uneventful day.

By the time lunch had rolled around, he'd become so bored that he actually felt a slight reason to eat something. Despite it being essentially useless, he bought himself a pot-pie from the cafeteria. It was absolutely disgusting, being school food, but he didn't even care. He just wanted to entertain himself for a bit, even if he picked at it more than actually eat any.

He looked across they room, locking eyes with Veronica once again. She looked equally bored with everything going on around her. Still, she flashed him a smile of solidarity. And he couldn't help but flash one back.

Though, this momentary peace was just that: momentary.

Someone slammed down their palm on the table.

JD jumped in his seat, away from thoughts and gazes, and looked up. Two students stood above him. They looked to be Jocks... JD immediately had little respect for them. The bulkier of the two gazed at his lunch tray.

"You gonna actually eat any of that?" He grumbled. JD didn't make any attempt to reply. He wasn't particularly in the mood to deal with them.

"You gonna answer us, Dick?" The other added when enough silence had passed. JD sighed.

"Better to be quiet than to blabber on and say nothing of worth." He retorted. The two seemed confused for a moment, then had a moment of realization, then their expressions filled with hatred.

"The fuck did you just say?" the thin one murmured

"I'm just saying what anyone else would think in the same situation, and you having to ask me about it confirmed for me that you two aren't thinking at all."

They **really** hated that. One of them picked up the pie, the other held JD in place.

"You gonna apologize, wise-ass?"

"Depends, you guys gonna stop saying the first thing that surfaces from the kiddie pool you guys call brains?"

The two exchanged looks, giving a mutual nod.

It was all JD needed.

He brought his arms up and bashed their heads together. The pie fell, but JD managed to catch it... And took a spoonful. The jocks recovered quickly, going in to try and scuffle some more, but JD already had his moves planned out. He pulled the spoon back with his finger, launching some of the filling into the Bulkier Jock's eye. Then, He shoved the rest into the thinner one's face.

He didn't stick around to see how they'd react to that, and instead bolted from the cafeteria.

JD dashed down the hall, and took refuge in a janitor's closet. He'd have opted for the restrooms, but he figured the jocks would find that obvious (not that they seemed particularly smart). As he caught his breath, he wondered how that looked to anyone else... The three of them hadn't been conversing very loudly, maybe the majority of the room only saw him shove pie at them... Though, it at least told them he was capable of avoiding messes.

JD stuffed his hands into his pockets. In one, he felt the map he'd gotten the night before... In the other, he felt another piece of paper. He pulled it out. Veronica again, it seemed. It looked even more rushed than the last one.

_Same place, 4th instead, Have more to tell you._  
_-V_

He wondered for a moment why it was easy to read in the dark closet... Until he noticed his necklace glowing again. JD grimaced with annoyance.

"I get it, I'm in deep shit when I get back... Is it ever different? Do you really have to give a vague reminder whenever this happens?" He snapped. The necklace continued to glow... Not ceasing in the slightest. 

JD hated it... He hated the necklace, he hated his dad, he hated that people didn't so much as try to understand him (other than Veronica, he supposed.)

But, above all, he hated that this had all just become **another** routine...

JD let out a breath of malcontent... He rubbed his eye (Mistakenly with his bad hand), forcing himself to suck in any emotions he was having for the time being, and waited longingly for the bell to ring.


	4. Uncertainty

JD ended up waiting much longer than he would have liked. Though the entire time he'd been completely bored, so it probably felt worse than it actually was. He wasn't sure the exact length of time, just that it'd felt like forever. He silently pondered exactly how Veronica kept managing to slip notes into his coat... Though it went away when the second bell blasted through the halls and into his ears.

He waited a few minutes and peeked out of the closet, silently looking around to make sure the halls were indeed cleared up. No one crept from the cafeteria, nor from the other classrooms down the hall. Still, JD kept his weariness. It was the only thing other than his coat that ever offered safety.

He didn't meet Veronica when he arrived at the spot they'd talked yesterday. For a moment, he felt anxious... But he tried to keep calm. Sure, he had reasons to be concerned, but jumping to conclusions wouldn't be much of a help to anyone. JD slouched against the wall, glancing down at his necklace. He hated that he called it that, _his necklace_.

Bud was the one that wanted it in the first place. JD hated the damn thing, and yet he still acted like it belonged to him. The faint glow emitting, however, served as a cruel reminder. A reminder that, in reality, JD belonged to the necklace...

And in turn the necklace belonged to his father...

What exactly was Bud trying to accomplish right now? He already had most of his belongings, and his hamster (Not that Bud knew about it)... Not to mention cash. And, so far, he didn't have any reason to believe JD was up to something.

...Right? He'd been at school all day... and he alluded to going home... That'd be enough...

He heard a clack of footsteps slowly approach. JD tensed, keeping himself prepared just in case. Though, luckily, Veronica soon entered his vision. And just like that, most of his bad thoughts left him. She gazed over him, seemingly noticing the necklace. JD pulled the note out of his pocket, along with a pen, and scribbled something on the back.

**_Did you Find Anything?_ **

Veronica took the pen and paper, scribbling back on it.

_No... She said it sounded very complex and that she'd have to look into it more. She was wondering if you and I could go over to her house after school and try to find it in one of her books._

JD read over it, a bit of a frown fell on his face...

_**... I don't know if I can. My dad has been watching me since lunch, I think he might be trying to corner me while I'm at school.** _

_Shit, really?_

**_That or he's fucking with me... I also have a pet at home and I'm kind of worried about leaving it there while my dad's in a mood... He doesn't know about it yet I think but, I'm not eager for him to find out._ **

_What kind of pet?_

_**Hamster** **... Easy to hide, not very noisy... but not in an ideal spot right now.** _

_We can go get him after school if you want? Before we go to my friend's place..._

JD hesitated to reply to this... It was a nice gesture, and a part of him wanted to go through with it... but...

_**I don't want to put you in any kind of danger.** _

Veronica read over this... Giving him a curious glance.

_Has he hurt people who were helping you before?_

**_...He did worse than hurt them..._ **

JD really didn't want to elaborate further than that. Veronica didn't seem like she wanted to pester about it. Still, she did write something else down.

_Then, we'll just have to get that thing off of you before he tries to get to us._

There wasn't any space left on the paper now. The necklace still glowed like a star hanging from JD's neck. He looked down at it, then up at Veronica, then back to the necklace.

He needed to contemplate this for a moment. If he said yes, than there wasn't any chance of backing out. If he did, he'd loose his window of opportunity.

He looked back up at Veronica one last time. Then he clasped her hand, gently pressing the pen to her skin.

_**Okay.** _

She smiled at him, then unexpectedly pulled him into a hug. He stiffened for a moment, not really used to this kind of contact... But, slowly, he eased his arms around her. They stayed like this for a moment, then broke away. An odd feeling washed over JD...

Happiness. He wasn't used to it, but he could recognize it. And right now, he definitely felt it.

The necklace suddenly ceased it's glowing, color fading from it once again. JD and Veronica locked eyes for a moment.

"Did he give up?" Veronica asked, just below a whisper.

"...I don't know." JD admitted, "I told him earlier that I know I'm in trouble... and since I haven't skipped out on school yet he probably thinks I'm just gonna go home again after class and face reality."

"So, you really wanna do this?"

"Yeah. Like you said, if we get it off then it's over. He can't find me again... And that'll make it easier to avoid any danger."

"Alright... I think we should try to leave as soon as this period ends. If your dad thinks you're gonna stay at school, then he probably won't check in until the last bell."

"Yeah. Plus it'd be good for us to get a head start." JD agreed, "We should probably get your friend though..."

Veronica nodded, and started pulling him down the halls...

* * *

"Veronica I know I said I'd help but I dunno how Heather and Heather are gonna react to me skipping sixth period." Heather Duke said as the group of three snuck outside.

"I know, I'm sorry," Veronica murmured. She did feel guilty, especially considering some of the things Chandler and McNamara have said about her in the past. "Look, Heather probably ask me about it and when she does I'll cover for you."

"...Alright." Duke sighed.

"Why are you guys friends with this chick if she's terrible?" JD asked, picking a leaf off his coat. Veronica and Duke shared a look, and a shrug.

"It's safer to be on top of everyone than to be walked on." Duke stated.

"But she still walks on _you_ , from the sounds of it."

"Yeah but... It's like you're coat. If you didn't have it you'd just be hopping from dark corner to dark corner everyday, right? But, when you have it on, you don't have to worry about being trapped in a corner to begin with."

JD bit his lip and tilted his head slightly, considering the odd metaphor... Before nodding slowly.

"That made no sense but, I think I get whatever you were trying to say." He mumbled. Duke gave him a glare, then rolled her eyes.

"Guys quit bickering will ya?" Veronica snapped, "We're gonna get caught." They both hushed up as the group entered the school parking lot. Veronica looked around, making sure no else was around, then led them through the parking lot. They walked up to her car, piled in, and drove off.

They managed to reach Heather's house without any trouble... Well, they hit a few red lights, but at lest no one was coming over to kill them. They were still alive and still ready to try and figure this whole charm thing out.

They entered Heather Duke's room, and she immediately started looking through her bookshelves. She pulled out three books, One labeled _"An Encyclopedia of Charms: Vol III"_ , Another with the title _"Gemstones and Other Magic Minerals"_ , and a third simply called _"Enchanted Crafts: A Guide To Charming Objects and Wares."_ She handed the Book of gemstones to JD and the Craft book to Veronica. The three of them wasted no time opening the fairly large books and scanning through them.

They searched for a long time in silence, occasionally shifting out of their positions or making frustrated noises.

"I found it." JD mumbled.

"What did you find?" Veronica Asked.

"The Gemstone... I found it in the book." It took him long enough, too... It started with an A, it should be at the beginning of the book... But No, the book wasn't sorted at all. Or if it was the criteria was so randomized one might as well say it wasn't.

Veronica and Duke crowded around him as he started reading aloud.

" _Apatite: Often characterized as having a Green, Purple, or Blue coloration, the properties in this mineral been used for generations as a means of forming illusions or other forms of trickery... Blue Apatite is particularly powerful, albeit hard to come by. Their rarity is due in part to their unique ability to form a method of one-way communication, which made it a useful tool thousands of years ago._ "

Duke thought over the information for a moment. "Okay, so... We know the reason he's able to listen into you comes from the Gem itself... So, if there is a charm, it must be one that just tracks the whereabouts of the object." She flipped through her book, seemingly to find whatever that specific charm was.

Veronica set down her own book, looking over to JD. He seemed to be suddenly squeamish.

"Something wrong?" She mumbled. He looked at her, longer than he usually did, then shook his head.

"I... I haven't fed yet today..." He replied, keeping his face buried in his sleeves. His fangs had unwillingly drawn themselves back out, and for once JD didn't try to fight it.

Veronica frowned, turning to Duke. "Hey Heather? Do you still have that supplement stuff you used to give Betty?"

Duke looked up from her book, thinking for a moment. "I might? If there is any it's stuffed under my bed somewhere. I dunno if it's gonna work for him, since I didn't make it with Vampires in mind, but we can give it a try."

Veronica started walking towards the bed. JD pondered over the name for a moment. He almost felt like he shouldn't say anything, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"Who's Betty?" He asked. Both of them froze, exchanging glances. Then, Veronica let out a sigh.

"She was... A friend of ours." She mumbled, Occupying herself with her search.

"Betty's a Werewolf. She's got a very sweet personality. Veronica introduced us cause There aren't a lot of Immortals in Sherwood and she thought it'd be good for us... She used to come over about once a month before for this calorie supplement, so she'd have better control when she shifted... Then there was the incident..."

JD paused for a moment. "...She got chased out of town right? Stabbed with something made of silver?"

Duke and Veronica both looked at him with bewilderment.

"How did you know about-" Duke began.

JD Interrupted her. "Before I crashed into your room last night, I stopped by a Snappy Snack Shack hoping to get a slushy or something to buy myself time... Thankfully, the guy working the night-shift there was also a Vampire. He told me about a Werewolf getting chased into the next state over and a few other warnings."

The two both gave equally somber expressions before turning back to their tasks.

"We're really worried about her..." Veronica mumbled, "We were hoping for some sign that she's alright by now."

"If it means anything, that guy told me he heard she's got to a hideaway... Given how draining silver is, she's probably just still recovering." He said. The two did noticeably perk up at the sound of this.

"...I hope that's true." Duke mumbled, "It's bad enough everyone involved got off so easily. She didn't even hurt anyone, didn't come close to. But, apparently they care more about deer than people."

Veronica came out from under the bed.

"Well, there's nothing there." She said with disappointment. JD moped in his trenchcoat for a bit, before something came into his mind.

"...You guys know any farms around here?" He asked.

"Yeah," Duke confirmed, "There's a cattle ranch not to far from here, Kurt and Ram usually go cow tipping there."

"...Could we maybe, Go there for a bit? L-like if you guys don't wanna come I get it but..." He rubbed his arm. Admittedly, he was somewhat afraid of going alone. Sure, he'd done it the previous night... But he was running on adrenaline. Now that he actually thought it through, he didn't like the idea of being in the middle of no where without much help.

Duke and Veronica exchanged looks for the millionth time, then nodded.

"Sure."

"Safety in numbers."

JD smirked, though it was short lived. A pang of hunger shot through his body immediately after.

"...Fuck. Let's get going, I dunno how much longer I can stay like this."

* * *

Bud stared over at the door. He knew JD wasn't coming in anytime soon, yet somehow he had a strange hope that his son would humor him for once. Though, hope was a fools game. He glanced outside... The sun was close to setting, Jason effeminately wasn't coming back, and he needed him for his plan. So, reluctantly, he got up from his chair. Bud lazily slung on his jacket, and pulled out his map and an apatite gem.

"Alright, Tiger... Let's see where you're hiding." He grumbled.

* * *

JD felt himself growing more restless as they drove. He shouldn't have cut it so closely, but he also didn't want to make that trip to Heather's totally worthless... He curled under his coat, breathing slowly and trying to conserve what energy he had so he wouldn't fall into a frenzy. Duke was in the back seat with him, occasionally glancing over at him. She'd taken the book with her and still was trying to find the right charm. 

"-and you said when you tried to remove it, the other gem warped him over?"

"Yeah." JD mumbled, trying to not think about that memory.

"Alright... Don't worry too much, we're almost there." She assured.

"...I'm sorry about this..." He said, mostly into his coat.

"Don't worry about it, okay? The only way to control hunger is to feed. It's one of the few things we all have in common."

"Yeah... I just don't wanna lose my cool again..." He murmured.

"...Again?"

"...There was an incident at an old school... I don't wanna talk about it." He sighed. He couldn't even really remember much of it. He wasn't sure why, but that memory always seemed to fog away from him, even when he thought really hard about it. Something just blocked it out.

"Hey, I think I found out how to undo that charm..." Duke mumbled, gazing at a page.

"You did?"

"Yeah... but... You aren't gonna like it."

JD looked at her with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Veronica stopped the car, listening in as well. Duke read from the book.

" _All charms can be undone using universal methods, though some tend to yield better results than others. One way to undo any charm is through destroying the object_ -

not an option for us seeing as we'd have a problem doing that-

 _Another method is by reciting the charming spell backwards_ -

I'm still not sure which charm he used exactly-

 _B_ _ut, one of the most common methods is by simply killing the charmer, albeit you will likely get arrested_ -

"Wow," Veronica mumbled, "That book is literally condoning murder."

"I think they meant it as a bad joke. There's more methods listed hear but they aren't too helpful in our situation or involve solving some weird riddle... Like this one:  _reciting a phrase the charmer would never speak..._  That could be anything and nothing at the same time!"

"Doesn't help much either seeing as my Dad isn't a charmer." JD sighed. Duke looked at him like he was insane, so essentially how she'd been looking at him all day but with a hint of confusion sprinkled in.

"He- He's not? I thought for sure he would be."

JD shrugged. "Yeah, nothing in my family makes sense. My parents are mortals, I'm a vampire, it's weird..."

Veronica gazed out the window.

"Hey um... That farm's just a short walk from here... You think you can manage, JD?"

"Yeah, I thin-" He had uncurled himself slightly, now noticing the glow of his necklace. Fear shot through him.

"Shit." He repeated it like a mantra. He noticed Veronica crawling over, but didn't pay much mind to it. He wasn't sure he could the way his mind panicked.

"JD, breathe... It's going to be okay..." She whispered.

"He knows... He heard us..." He stammered.

"Look JD," Duke began, "We can't do anything about it now okay? Let's just get a cow and work this out later."

JD shook in place, trying to steady himself... They were right... They couldn't really do much about this right now... Fuck.

Veronica placed a hand on his knee. "It's okay... We'll figure this out, I promise."

JD nodded, still shaking a little. He'd trusted Veronica's judgement for this long, he might as well keep going. The three of them stepped out of the car, starting to walk towards a field. There were indeed several cows there. JD licked his lips, staring them down.

"I might do this as a bat... Just encase someone else comes by." He murmured.

"How much do you usually drink?" Veronica asked.

"About a pint, maybe more if I'm starving..."

"...Are you starving?"

"...Let's just call it slightly malnourished." JD said, not giving Veronica a chance to question further. He shifted into his bat form, and flapped his way down the hillside. He noticed a slight pain in his wing, but pushed through... The burn did affect him like this, it seemed.

He locked his eyes onto a particularly healthy looking heifer. It didn't look like it'd miss too much of it's blood. He swooped down landing gracefully onto it's back, and sinking his fangs into it's neck. The cow jolted a bit, but didn't seem to bothered after the initial spook. JD quietly lapped up his meal, admittedly not paying as much attention to his surroundings as he should. He couldn't help it. He'd eaten yesterday, sure, but nothing could quite compare to the taste of fresh warm blood. So, he enjoyed his few minutes of bliss.

He could hear the sound of snickering nearby, and poked his head up a little. He noticed three figures lurking nearby. Neither of them appeared to be Veronica or Heather, so already he was a bit on edge. Still, he didn't leave just yet. He wanted to observe them for a moment.

"You ready for this?" one of the boys said.

JD squinted his eyes... They looked... familiar somehow...

"Dude, quite down. It'll hear you." The other boy replied

Then it hit him, those the same boys who tried to beat him up earlier today... They approached closer, laughing at each other like... Well, drunkards. He then vaguely recalled Duke mentioning something about Cow Tipping.

JD hissed at them, making is presence known. Maybe they'd back off a little if he spooked them enough.

"Kurt look there's a little bat stuck to it man."

"Shit, yeah... Let's tip em both, It'll get all freaked out."

JD hissed again, snapping his jaw in their direction. The two just laughed.

"Heather come look at this fucking thing, he thinks he's all tough and shit."

JD glanced over... That wasn't the Heather he knew, that was for sure. Then again, there were 3 Heathers at Westerberg so, really he shouldn't be too surprised. She gave him a brief look.

"You think it's a blood-sucker?"

Ouch, tough crowd.

"Don't worry, babe... I protect you if it is." The bulkier one smirked, wrapping an arm around Heather. JD rolled his eyes. Sure, he was used to hearing this kind of crap, but he wasn't any less annoyed by it. He almost wanted to turn back, just to scare the shit out of them.

The other stared him down, Glaring a bit. "Y'know, it is acting kinda smart... I bet it is a blood-sucker."

JD just narrowly avoided getting grabbed the first time... And just missed dodging the second. He squeaked and squealed, tried to scramble and scratch away from the hand.

But, it was a bit hard with one leg and wing each being clamped down on.

"Aw, Ram look it's scared." Kurt laughed.

"Hah! Hey try pulling out one of it's teeth and see what it does."

JD struggled harder, but didn't get very far. Two meaty fingers forced his jaw open. He screeched and cried out, it hurt like hell... He couldn't take it anymore. He shifted back.

Unfortunately, Kurt was still holding his jaw. But, at least he could punch him this time. He twisted out of the grip, Slugging Kurt in his gut and stepping away. He glared over at them.

"Get the fuck out of here you filthy mortals." He snapped.

Surprisingly, Kurt and Ram actually left... Screaming in complete terror about being attacked. He didn't care... Yet at the same time he felt shame and fear of something else to come. He looked over, noticing the other Heather had fallen over in the mud... No, maybe she was pushed over. He stuck out his hand.

"Sorry about tha-"

She slapped it away, Standing back up without any sort of help. JD took a few steps back.

"You stay the hell away from me you _fanged-freak_." She yelled.

Veronica and Heather Duke had just arrived on the scene luckily. Duke went to Heather, Veronica stayed by his side.

"Heather," Duke assured, "It's okay..."

"No it's not!" She exclaimed, "He's a fucking blood-sucker -"

"Vampire." He corrected, "And in case you didn't notice, they attacked me."

"Doesn't give you a reason to go around hitting people."

"They were trying to pull out my teeth what the hell did you expect!"

"Okay!" Veronica shouted, "Let's just try to calm down for a moment."

They went quite. JD rubbed his head, trying to soothe a migraine.

"You guys explain this, I... I need a minute." He grumbled, walking off. He could hear someone following behind him, probably Veronica... He didn't care really, he just needed a moment to clear his head. He walked until he just barely reached the more wooded area of what had previously been a clearing, and took a few deep breaths.

"...You okay?" Veronica asked.

"...No But, words are words..." He mumbled. His hand was stinging still... He'd Punched with the wrong one.

Veronica frowned. "I'm sorry about Heather, she's-"

"She's going to have to own up for her own actions. Her friends can't always be defending her." He interrupted.

"...Yeah, you're right... Sorry."

"It's..." He didn't finish, not really sure what to say. He looked over at Veronica, and She looked back. They shared a smile.

_Then the light dimmed._

JD Froze... His necklace had been activated for so long he'd forgotten about it. He looked around, frantically.

"Hey, I think we should go." He stammered.

"Yeah, that'd be a good idea." Veronica replied.

"Go? Before we've even been introduced?" A third voice said.

JD and Veronica turned around... Bud Dean stood there, high and mighty... And smelling of ash.

"Say, Son... You were supposed to be home a few hours ago, weren't you?"

JD suddenly became more jittery than he'd been in his life. Yet, despite his shaking, he kept himself between his Father and Veronica. He wasn't letting anyone else get hurt by him.

"I... forgot..." JD mumbled, trying to back both of them away.

Bud just tsk-ed, walking up closer.

"That's a shame.... You're about to forget something else, too." He stated.

"What?" JD said this more in confusion than in questioning. Bud raised his arm, holding a tiny blue gem between his thumb and fingers.

"This conversation."

Bud grabbed JD's arm, pulling him in closer and pressing the gem between his eyes. There was a bright glow...

And JD blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to come out a little earlier but!!! It's Done!!! One more chapter left!


	5. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I'm gonna give a mild warning some of Bud's language is... kind of shitty. He is meant to be in the wrong as he says these things but I'm gonna give a heads up about it.

Veronica watched as JD's body fell limp, held up only by his father's iron grip. His eyes were slightly open, but the color had drained from them so quickly you'd think it were never there. His expression had been frozen into complete terror, which made the whole thing all that more horrifying.

His father gazed over at her. She took a moment to read his face... He seemed familiar somehow. Though, she couldn't place a name on it... Hell she didn't even know JD's full name, just that he wasn't going to be in town very long...

... JD... J...D... J.... _Dean_?

That was it! Bud Dean Construction! That's where she'd seen the man before. They were in town for a few jobs around the area. She'd seen signs around...

"Sorry about Jason," Bud spoke much to calmly (and dare she say even kindly) for the situation, "He's hysterical... Has been since my wife passed. If I were you I'd not say a word about it, It might tarnish my business reputation. Though, I'd bet that no one would believe it anyways."

Veronica just glared at him.

"And you think I'm just going to buy into that?" She muttered.

Bud gave her a laugh. "It'd be for the best that you did."

"Because I know too much?"

"Actually, because you don't know enough."

Veronica gave him a confused look. She didn't have time to ask anymore questions as Bud shoved her into the mud. She pushed herself back up, only to have some piece of fabric thrown onto her. Veronica didn't pay attention to it, throwing it off just quickly enough to see Bud running off somewhat sluggishly with JD tucked under one of his arms.

"Hey!" She shouted, scrambling after him. She ran until they were in another area of the woods, near where she'd parked earlier. There was another car directly beside her own... Probably Bud's.

By that point, Veronica got close enough to jump onto him. Which she did. Bud stumbled back, dropping JD and turning his attention to her. He tore her off his clothes, and she took to repeatedly trying to hit him.

"Look, I'm trying to be civil about this whole thing... I don't see why you're so eager to fight." Bud grumbled.

"You're only being civil cause you can't afford otherwise." Veronica said, attempting to throw a kick at him. She just barely missed him. Bud shook his head.

"Look, I'm just trying to help my son."

"Oh, and I suppose that's why you file his teeth down and did god-knows-what to the other people who tried to help him?" She snapped. Bud gave her a displeased look.

"Course he's gonna make me look like the bad guy, He doesn't know any better."

"I think anyone who doesn't give there kid basic privacy is already worse."

"What on earth would give you that idea?"

"JD told me about the necklace... Besides, How the fuck else would you know to come here?"

Bud seemed to pause for a moment. He stood up a little straighter, lifting Veronica just slightly and turning to pin her against the car.

"Alright... Maybe you do know too much." He murmured. Veronica struggled even harder against his hold, but it didn't seem to be of much use. Bud stayed still, just as large and menacing as before... And fully aware of it.

He pulled something out of his pocket. Veronica got a quick glance at it, it looked like some kind of bottle.

"As much as I'd love to deal with you right now, I have too much on my plate with Jason. So, I'm afraid we'll have to finish this later."

Bud popped the lid right of. Veronica felt around her pockets, trying to find her keys in a final attempt to harm him and get away... But soon, she felt something being pressed to her mouth and forced down her throat.

She instantly felt woozy, her world spinning around her into a whirl until it accumulated into nothingness.

* * *

Duke and McNamara arrived in time to see Veronica pass out, staying completely hidden among the trees. Both Heathers exchanged looks... And as much as they wanted to help they found themselves too scared to do anything. JD's father picked up both unconscious teens, tossing them into the back seat without much second thought.

And just as quickly as he came, he drove off.

Duke took a step back. "That... That just happened." She mumbled.

"...Yeah, it did..." McNamara replied. They stayed there for a moment, then McNamara started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Duke asked.

"Home. Tonight's been a shitfest, I'm gonna sleep."

"Home? No, We're going to follow that fucking car."

McNamara gave Heather a sigh. "Look, Heather... I hate this too, but we can't do anything. The car's already too far to follow, and Veronica probably still has her keys."

"Then... Then we call the police."

"You really think the police would /help/ his kind? Once they hear there's a _blood-sucker_ in danger they won't do shit... Hell, if they find him it'll be Betty Were-Bitch all over again."

Duke froze... As much as she hated the wording, McNamara's statement did have some standing. The police would probably just pin the whole thing on JD having some kind of episode and rush along any kind of court case, assuming they even gave him that opportunity. And given that his Father seemed to have some form of inside Charmer info despite being mortal, he'd probably figure out a way to sway him out of involvement.

...He could probably kill both of them and manage to get off without even a slap.

Duke looked around to say something else, but McNamara had already started down the road. She just watched for a moment, almost wanting to follow her. And yet, something nearby was calling to her. Something was begging that she stay and look around. It was getting late, she probably should head home...

Though, maybe just a quick sweep around couldn't hurt?

Heather turned around, noticing the footprints left in the mud. Some were her own, some where McNamara's, and some were either Veronica's or JD's father's. Though, right now it was hard to differentiate. She took to just following the overlapped trail, occasionally glancing around for some kind of clue. It wasn't easy given how dark her surroundings were, but Heather had too much determination to let that stop her.

She kept walking until something odd in the ground caught her eye. She looked over, peering for a moment... It was some kind of dark coat....

No, It was JD's coat.

She picked it up, fear filling her once again. JD wouldn't be stupid enough to just loose something so valuable, or at least she hoped he wasn't. She noticed something sticking out of the pocket... A Map?

Heather opened the parchment with a bit of confusion... There were various red and green marks on it, one of the latter being on the very farm she was standing in... Then there was another mark in blue... It wasn't too far from here, she noted.

She held the coat idly for a moment... For all she knew, it was a dead end. But, it was better than just doing nothing.

Something else glimmered in the ground.

Oh... Veronica's Keys.

Heather picked them up and ran towards the car without sparing another second. She at least had to try this.

* * *

Okay, maybe this was a worse idea than she thought.

The house that had been in that location was not only completely void of neighbors, but looked extremely old... So old she had doubts anyone actually lived there. But, it was the only lead she had. Heather took a deep breath, and one final look at the house...

This had better be worth it.

She stepped out of the car, craning her head the entire time to make sure no one was following her as she approached the house. Heather knocked on the front door, waiting and waiting for someone to answer. None came. She knocked again… Still, there was nothing. She tried the doorknob.

Creeeeeeeeeeek!

The door opened, the room behind it looked both inviting and terrifying all at once. But, she took a step inside anyways.

“H-hello? Is there anyone here?” She called out into the dusty dark dwellings. The floorboards groaned below her, sounding like they’d give out any second. Heather walked slowly through the house, taking note of her. Despite how unkempt it was, the furnishing looked fairly modern in some places. It was puzzling.

The sound of fluttering suddenly fell into her ears. Heather turned around just in time to see a Bat… Then a man. He looked at her with a scowl… Yet, the only thing that radiated off of him was Fear.

“How the Hell did you find this place?” The person demanded. Heather took a step back.

“I… My friend had a map with this spot marked on it-”

“What Friend?”

“JD! It was JD!”

The man paused, seeming to think for a moment.

“JD…” He tested the word on his tongue, “Dark Hair, Scrawny, Big Trench coat?”

“Y-yeah…”

The Man immediately became more sympathetic.

“Sorry about scaring you, I don’t get many visitors… My Name’s Tuck.”

“Heather. Listen, I need your help: Me and my friend took JD out to a farm field to feed, And his father showed up and took both of them… I’m worried he might try to hurt them.”

Tuck gave her a horrified look. “Jesus Christ. Do you know where they went?”

“…Not exactly… I thought maybe their house? Do you know the way? I figured you might since JD cared enough to mark this place.” Heather mumbled. Tuck looked at her, then sighed.

“Well, your out of luck. I gave him that Map, I know as little about him as you.”

Heather’s expression fell further. She almost wanted to cry… this whole trip had been useless.

“Fuck!” She yelled, stamping her foot into the ground. There had to be another way… There Had to be…

Tuck looked at her with pity. “Look, kid. I dunno much about JD, but I’m not about to stand idle while an Immortal goes through that… So, I’ll try to help you figure something out.”

“Okay… Do you know anyone else that might be able to help us? I’m a Charmer, so I can use a few spells. But I’m a little inexperienced.”

“Not too many, and the ones who I do might think it unwise.” Tuck said in disappointment, “We're gonna have to try and make do with the two of us."

"Alright." Heather sighed. She and Tuck left the house, both still suspicious of and keeping an eye on each other. They both still had reasons to believe either wasn't trustworthy, but they had reasons to think otherwise as well...

Right now, all that mattered was figuring out a way to find JD and Veronica.

* * *

For a long time, There was nothing. Nothing except for the bleak darkness that oozed throughout his being...

Then, a series of senses suddenly hit JD all at once. The coldness of the air around him, the throbbing in his head, the little spots in his vision where everything was still blurry; It pounded into him and caused him so much shock he jolted straight upwards. He instantly regretted this, as he bashed his head into something behind him. He shook himself, looking around and trying to figure out where exactly he was.

There was a bed... and a Desk with some books on it.... and a blanket....

Oh... He was home...

Yeah... That's right... He went home after school, that had to have been it: He went home to get his hamster. And based on the pain, his father found him...

No... Them? Veronica had too have come with him. Maybe her friend, too...

Then... Then why did he remember being at Heather's house? Right... Heather was the name of the Charmer...

...What just happened?

JD rubbed his eye with his palm, trying to make sense of everything. He gazed around... His room looked a tad more displaced then he recalled leaving it in, like his father had rummaged around it for something.

It wouldn't have been the first time.

He heard something squeak nearby... Oh! Oh jeez... His Hamster didn't get fed today yet. JD walked up to his desk, peeking under the little blanket. The hamster looked over, approaching him with apparent delight.

"Hey buddy... Sorry I kept ya waiting." He whispered. JD took a moment to fill the little dish with a good amount of food, and even took a moment to give his pet a few strokes with his finger. The little rodent seemed perfectly happy with this attention.

Footsteps entered his ears. JD placed the blanket back into place, waiting for his father. Bud entered the room without much fanfare... And with an uncharacteristically concerned look on his face. He approached him, and to JD's surprise they were both shaking. 

"Oh thank god... You're back to yourself." JD was almost taken aback by the sound of fear tinged in his voice... He'd only heard his father speak like this one other time. JD backed away from him.

"What do you mean 'myself'?" He asked. Bud looked at him, then just shook his head.

"You... You frenzied out, Jason. You killed a girl, drank her totally dry... Do you not remember?"

JD Looked up at Bud with disbelief. "I... Which girl? Which girl was it, Dad?" He stammered out.

"I wouldn't know," His father sighed, "She had dark-ish hair... I think her outfit was blue. I didn't take a long look at it, I had to get rid of the evidence... I hope you understand."

JD felt his legs go weak beneath him... He... He couldn't have done that... He wouldn't do that... Would he?

Oh god... He killed Veronica.

His whole body was shaking. His father placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Son, I know you hate my rules... I know you hate the things I do sometimes... But, they are for your own good." He said. Bud Dean left, shutting the door behind him. JD stood in the center of the room...

Then he collapsed to the floor, his sobs ringing through the house. Internally, he berated and scolded himself for getting attached to someone. But, the rest of him just felt anguish... Like he really was the monster the world saw him as... Like there actually was a reason his father treated him terribly... Like he deserved to be hunted and hated and hurt...

...

_Maybe he did._

* * *

Bud Dean stayed outside his son's door for a moment, listening in to his crying. His faced still dawned a concerned expression...

Then he took a breath, letting the mask fall away for the time being. He wouldn't be needing it until he came back later, when he had to deal with JD a second time. For now, he could just focus on figuring out what to do with the girl.

He walked down to the lower portions of the house and into the basement, where he'd left her. Upon entering he noticed the potion's effects had worn and she was now at least somewhat awake.

"So, princess, you enjoy your nap?" Bud quipped. The girl looked up at him, mostly unimpressed.

"Where's JD?" She demanded.

"Ah, He's alright... Sure, he thinks you're dead, seemed pretty beaten up about it. But he'll get over it. And if he doesn't I can just erase a few more memories."

The girl struggled against the rope she'd been tied up in. Bud wasn't too concerned about it, he'd tied them himself after all.

"Why do you care so much what he does?" She asked. Bud thought over it for a moment.

"...Well, Since I'm going to kill you soon anyways: Vampires are an unpredictable kind of people. You gotta keep 'em well regulated... If I gave Jason more freedom, He'd either hurt himself or get someone else hurt. It's in his nature."

"That's a pretty loaded excuse for emotionally abusing him." The girl snapped.

Bud just rolled his eyes... He'd heard this enough times before.

"You can't emotionally abuse someone. Abuse only exists on a physical plane," He groaned, "I'd say you'd understand when your older, but we both know that's not going to happen."

The girl went quiet, looking down at her feet. Bud smirked.

"Why not just wipe my memory? You clearly have the ability." She muttered.

"Yeah, But I'm mortal... I can't make new magic, I can only use the magic that's been given to me by accomplices. Besides, it's not quite that easy."

"How do you mean?"

Bud let out a long sigh... Damn, this girl asked a lot of questions.

"...Eh. I could tell you... But I've grown kind of tired of this conversation." He admitted. He gazed down at his watch... It was getting too late for his liking.

"By the way, I took the liberty of having this room charmed as well... Scream all you want, no one can hear you." He murmured, exiting yet another room. He could deal with the rest of this in the morning. The girl wouldn't be able to escape, not without help.

And Jason... Well, he had something _else_ in mind for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus one chapter becomes two...


	6. Escape

Veronica watched him leave, an unmoving scowl stuck on her face. She could believe someone as terrible as him existed, but she never thought she actually might come face to face with him. Now that she had been, though, She wishes she tried to attack him...

Though, she couldn't blame herself too much for not. Whatever was in that drink had left her feeling extremely drained. She just kept shaking her head, trying to not fall back into slumber. It felt tempting, given how late it was, but she had more important things to do....

She could hear JD on the second story, both his sobs and his thoughts. It hurt her... It really did... She almost wanted to console him, but... She felt drained. Right now, Veronica could only keep focus on one thing... And she decided escape would be the best.

Veronica took a deep breath... This wasn't easy even when she wasn't slightly drugged, she was going to need to focus. She eyed the knot that bound her hands together, not letting it leave her sight... Her thoughts focused only on them being untied....

The rope twitched, and and pulled, and finally fell loose. Veronica pulled it away, rubbing her wrists for a moment before going to untie her legs. They were a bit easier by comparison... She wasn't too skilled with her telepathy, not to mention she was partially stunted in her ability to use it... But, it at least had it's perks.

Veronica slowly stood herself up, letting her body adjust itself. Okay, the easy part was over with... Now came actually trying to get out of the room. Which, in it of itself, seemed downright impossible as she actually gave the space a look.

There was a single window, but there were bars over the outside of it so it wasn't an option... Maybe if she were smaller... But that wasn't going to happen.

The next thing that came to mind was what appeared to be a laundry chute above her... But, unfortunately it was too far out of reach and there didn't appear to be anything she could stack or climb onto.

Finally, there was the door... Which was locked down tight from the other side. She wasn't sure what kind of lock was over it, either... So she wasn't sure she could unlock it with telepathy.

Veronica let out a frustrated huff, trying to find something to break it down with... But, again, the room was scarce with anything useful... She couldn't make any kind of racket either...

"Fuck." She groaned, trying to think of something else.... Wait, that's it! Thinking!

Veronica took a deep breath, keeping her mind focused on the energy JD radiated from his room.

* * *

JD curled over on his bed, rubbing his face with the sleeve of his flannel... He couldn't remember where he'd put his coat, but he wished he had it right now. The thin sheet on his bed just wasn't as comforting. 

He couldn't believe he let himself do this again... But, he deserved this. He told himself to not get attached to anyone, to not let himself care about anyone; and he fucked himself over again. JD brought his legs closer to his chest. He couldn't cry anymore... He'd cried himself dry.

_JD?_

He shook his head... He was imagining her voice now...

_**God, how delusional am I?** _

_You're the furthest thing from it right now, kid._

JD sat up, somewhat bewildered. It really sounded like her, down to personality... Which struck him as odd. His own brain wasn't that accurate, was it?

**_...Veronica?_ **

_Took you long enough._

**_...Is this real?_ **

_It's real... I dunno what your father told you but, I'm not dead... Not yet anyways._

JD felt a wave of emotions, yet he cast them all too the side. He had to get her out before his father did anything.

**_What room are you in?_ **

_I think it's the basement? Or the laundry room? All I know is it has some kind of sound-proofing charm on it._

JD knew what room she was talking about... He'd only been in there for a few minutes, but it was the only one that fit the description. Though, the mention of a charm brought things into question for him. Still, he didn't want to think about it for long.

_**Okay, I'll come down and get you.** _

He stood up, walking over to his door. However, when he tried to open it, he discovered it was locked.

**_...Or not?_ **

_What happened?_

**_Asshole of the Year locked my door... Apparently I didn't hear him switch the bolt earlier._ **

_Okay... I got another idea but you're going to have to fly down to the ground window._

**_Alright._ **

JD went to his window... Where were his curtains? It didn't matter. He went to the latch, Which wouldn't budge.

**_Did he fucking glue this thing down? I think he glued my window down._ **

_What the fuck?_

He was trapped in his room... He was completely trapped in his room.

_JD, don't panic... We'll think of something._

_**It better be a good something, cause so far he's outsmarted both of us.** _

_Yeah... I know you already told me he was terrible but, I had no idea someone could be this bad._

**_No one does. Then they meet Bud Dean... How did you get here anyways?_ **

_...You don't remember... Right..._

**_What are you talking about?_ **

_...Bud said he erased your memories. I assume just from when we were in the cow field... But, JD... Do you think he's done this before?_

JD froze.

**_...He... I... Oh god... What the fuck... What the fuck... How... When... What the fuck?!?_ **

He could do that? He could do that. What the hell... How many times had this happened? How long had this been going on for? He didn't know. He just felt a sense of panic hitting him.

_JD, breathe. I know it's a lot, but you gotta keep your head on straight, okay?_

**_That's gonna be hard for me._ **

_I know but, it's only for a little while._

He heard footsteps down the hall, his head snapping towards his door.

**_Shit he's coming upstairs, he must've heard something._ **

_Maybe he's just going to bed? He seemed tired when I talked to him._

JD waited a moment... They only got closer.

**_No, he's definitely coming in here._ **

_Do you know why?_

**_No... I don't. Apparently, I don't know anything anymore... What the fuck..._ **

He heard what sounded like a lock being tampered with.

**_Veronica, promise me I'll remember this._ **

_JD-_

**_Please, I can't forget this... I don't wanna forget this again!_ **

_Again?_

Bud appeared in the doorway, looking in.

"Hey Tiger... Just checking in on you."

JD knew that tone all too well. Bud's false friendliness, nothing more than a mask he used when he-

He shook his head...

**_Why do I know this?_ **

_JD?_

Bud walked in. JD walked back.

"Wh-What's with the sudden visit, son?" He tried. Backwards language was the only way he was going to get something out of him. Bud gave him a smile... It was more sinister than sincere.

"Well, Dad... We do have that arrangement to take care of, don't we?"

**_What arrangement?_ **

_JD, what's going on up there?_

**_I don't know but... I'm fucking scared..._ **

"Y'know, son... I don't seem to remember what you're talking about." He stammered out, backed into the corner.

Bud towered over him, staring him down... The sick smile on his face shooting right into his soul.

"I know," He laughed, "I always make sure of that..."

* * *

_JD?_

There wasn't a reply, but she didn't need one to tell that he was terrified. She could feel his emotions becoming more muddled and unsteady with each second.

Then, everything suddenly stopped...

Veronica swept around the room again, this time more frantic. She had to get herself out of her, whatever it took. There had to have been something she over looked, something she could use to get out... But, the room didn't seem to offer much more than she initially thought.

"Son of a Bastard!" Veronica shouted, kicking up some dust. There had to be something else... There just had to be...

CRASH!

Something broke on the floor above her. Veronica felt two more presences in the house... One she didn't know, and one she knew all to well. There was talking above her.

"You think they heard us?" Said a gruff voice.

"I dunno... Maybe... I feel nothing but fear dwelling through this house." Replied Heather Duke.

"Yeah, it's like the place is flooding with it."

Veronica took another breath. She hoped she had enough in her to connect to a second person.

_Heather?_

**...What about her?**

It was the same gruff voice she was questioning just a moment ago... Veronica sighed, she'd have to roll with it.

_Sorry... Meant to connect with her... My powers are kinda weak right now._

**Who is this?**

_...My name's Veronica._

"...Is Veronica a Telepath?" The man said from upstairs.

"How'd you guess?" Asked Heather.

"She's in my head right now."

"Oh shit."

**I'm Tuck... You're JD's friend, right?**

_Yeah, I'd ask who you are but we're on a time crunch. I'm literally directly below you guys, there's a soundproof charm on the basement._

**Okay... Do you know were JD is?**

_Upstairs in his room... His father's up there with him, He sounded really freaked out about it._

"She says JD is upstairs, she's trapped in the basement."

"Okay, You get him I'll get her?"

"Sounds like a plan."

_Thank you, Tuck. Sorry again for the mix up._

**No trouble. Conserve your energy, kid.**

Veronica ceased the connection, Rubbing her head. Yeah, she wasn't going to be able to do that again for a while. She leaned back, hearing the sound of footsteps above her... Then they were beside her. And, not long after, the locks on the door were being fumbled with. Heather's worried face greeted her on the other side. Veronica trudged over, giving her a hug.

"You okay?" She mumbled.

"Yeah," Veronica replied, "I'm not hurt or nothing... Just kinda drained."

"Alright. Let's get JD and then get out of here."

Heather helped her walk up the stairs. She wasn't feeling /that/ terrible, but she let her anyways. Something told Veronica that Heather needed it right now, And she wasn't about to deny her a sense of comfort.

However, this brief comfort was just that: brief. Not a moment after arriving above ground level, there was a scream from upstairs. Veronica and Heather exchanged looks of worry, then scrambled up yet another flight to investigate whatever was going on.

They ran over to the only opened door in the hallway. Yet, as they came closer, they quieted down as to not be heard or seen. Given what exactly appeared to be going on in there, they needed all the stealth they could get.

Tuck (or at least Veronica assumed it was Tuck) was on the ground, his hand gripped tightly on his shoulder like it'd been stabbed.

Bud was over him, a wooden stake in one hand and a brightly glowing gem in the other.

JD was standing stiffly in the corner, his own necklace glowing just as brightly and his expression almost void of any life. 

"You're gonna fucking kill him if you keep this up!" Tuck exclaimed, curling up against the wall.

"Didn't kill him the first time, He was even younger and scrawnier back then too." Bud chuckled, "Besides, forever seems like a pretty long life, what's few years off of it?"

Veronica watched, noticing something odd... Bud didn't look nearly as grizzled or grey haired as before... In fact, she could see the grey fading away before her own eyes, turning into a dark shade reminiscent of his son's. It was almost like...

"...He's aging backwards." She whispered.

"No." Heather replied, "It's worse, he's sapping years off of JD's lifeline."

Veronica kept looking on in horror, watching as time melted off of Bud like wax... As he went from looking 49 to 45 to 40 in just a few moments. He looked like he might get even younger, too. In fact, she'd say he was planning on it given how tightly he held the gemstone.

She heard JD weakly whine, somehow looking even more sickly than he'd been these last few days. Yet he didn't budge. Hell, she'd even say it was impossible for him to move on his own accord. He just stood there, almost like a statue trapped in complete agony.

Tuck noticed them from across the room, Bud hadn't yet. His eyes shifted to Veronica, then to JD. It wasn't much, but it got the message across. Veronica quietly crept into the room, Heather following not too far behind her. Tuck, meanwhile, did his best to keep Bud distracted.

"I dunno how long you think you can keep this going, but it's not gonna last you know. The second anything happens to him or he manages to break away, you'll be at your wits end." He grumbled, trying to force himself further away. Bud just chuckled at this remark.

"I don't trust Jason enough to let him get into those kinds of messes... Besides, He can't break away if he doesn't remember why he'd want to."

"You're the sickest fuck there is... I dunno how you can live with yourself."

"Well, I'll tell you right now that it's gonna be a long life to live."

Bud came closer to Tuck, stepping one of his feet into his chest to keep him pinned to the floor. He knelt down, but the stake was kept raised... Veronica found herself unable to move, but luckily Heather did for her. She reached over his shoulders, trying to force him in a choke-hold. He lost his balance, and instead his focus was now on trying to throw her off. Tuck took advantage of the moment, managing to shove him off and turn the tides.

Bud dropped the gem.

* * *

JD felt everything weigh back down on him for the second time that night. Something absolutely excruciating and yet at the same time nonexistent shot through him. He thought he'd collapse, but he felt someone catch him. His vision was failing him at the moment, and he was only able to make out a vague shape.

"M-mom?" He rasped. Yet, as soon as it left his mouth he knew it was wrong... His mom was dead... His mom had been dead for 7 years.

"No, It's Veronica... Do you remember?"

"Ver...Ronica," He tested. "Yeah... I remember..." She was his friend, they met two days ago... She was trapped in the basement... She must've gotten out.

"Good." Veronica replied. He kept his eyes open, trying to let their vision return... He only was really able to notice he pick up something.

"Wuzthat?" He mumbled... God he felt exhausted, he was surprised he even had enough energy to keep talking.

"It's... Don't worry about it, okay?" Her voice sounded concerned about whatever it was... He decided to keep quiet just for the time being. He could hear his father grunt from somewhere else in the room. He saw three figures in the opposite corner fighting around. He thought he flinched. He wasn't too sure, but judging by the reaction from Veronica that had to have been it.

"Hey, don't panic. I'm gonna get you out of here now, okay?"

He wanted to believe her, he really did... But given everything else that had gone on tonight he had his doubts. Though, he didn't have time to dwell over them. A familiar sensation hit him.

"M'hungry." He grumbled. He pulled away from her for a moment, but she held him back.

"You ate earlier tonight, remember?"

JD just shook his head. He felt terrible, there's no way he'd eaten tonight... No wait, he'd sucked some cow blood.... That's right... Why was he starving? Had he already used up that much energy? Well... Yeah, he could believe that with how he felt.

"hungry'gain." He insisted. His vision was starting to focus itself again. He could just make out her face. She looked about as worried as she'd sounded before.

"Can you hold yourself for a little while?" She asked.

"I dunno." He really wasn't. He felt restless just thinking about it...

That said, his thoughts were once more interrupted.

He felt himself getting shoved back, His father's figure wedged between him and Veronica. He looked up just in time to see him grab her by the neck and hoist her up... His panic came back to him. He didn't even think about whatever he was doing, he just acted.

He'd rammed into his father, tussled him to the ground. Bud screamed something at him, and tried to throw him away, but JD kept his grip as long as he could. Until Bud threw him to the ground and gave him a swift kick to the gut.

"You stay out of this, you hear?" Bud demanded. JD curled up, trying to process anything through the pain. He was against his closet door, which looked like it'd been propped shut. Someone was banging against it from the other side. He almost wanted to open it, but he didn't have the energy.

He locked eyes with Veronica... And she tossed something over at him. He somehow managed to catch it. He looked over the blue surface, not unlike the one around his neck.

Bud stared down at him. "Jason, give it to me."

JD shook his head.

"If you don't give it over, I'm just going to force it away from you."

He stayed in his thoughts for a moment. He could recall threats like this happening throughout his life. His whole life, it was the only thing he ever heard out of Bud. There were too many things he'd wished he'd heard from him... But, one in particular he'd never really heard from anyone in his life. Not his Father, not his Mother... And given he didn't know them, certainly not the charmer.

JD grabbed his necklace in the same hand, shakily bringing both up to his lips.

"I love you, Jason." He mumbled against them.

The Gems flickered in sync... Then died down. Bud stared at him.

"What did you do?" He shouted. JD let the stray gem fall to the floor.

"What the hell did you do?" Bud repeated, more agitated this time. JD lifted the little copper chain over his head, for the first time in years and years, and threw it aside. He didn't have to look up to tell his father was absolutely pissed off. He could already tell by the way the wrinkles started returning to his hands.

The next few moments happened all too quickly. Bud attacked him again. Veronica tried to help fight him off. He'd shoved his father back to the ground.

He'd grabbed something, he wasn't sure what it was, but he jabbed it into him.

Blood went everywhere.

JD looked in his hand, the object was a wooden stake.

Bud Dean sputtered and gasped, holding the spot in his chest where it'd been driven into. Sure, he wasn't a vampire, but being hit with that much force had to have done damage.... He looked over at Jason one last time.

"Hell... Child."

Then he went limp, dead on the ground.

The closet had been broken down, out came Heather and... Tuck? Yeah, Tuck. Why was he here? He wanted to question it, but with everything else going on he just couldn't bare to. He just felt to out of it... To tired and woozy and so fucking /hungry/... He was too busy swaying back and forth, he didn't even notice everyone else had come closer. Not until Veronica tapped his shoulder anyways. He just looked at her, trying to force himself to say something.

"..s'it over?" He asked. Veronica gave him a slow nod.

"Mhm... It's all over." She assured.

He thought he should feel something... Relief, Sadness, something... But, he just felt sick.

"I don't feel s'good." JD admitted.

"Okay... Do you wanna rest?"

He shook his head. "Hungry.... hungry..." He whined. He could see them giving each other looks.

"Hey, kid... Listen, I'll get you some food... But I think you should rest up just a little in the meantime." Tuck said.

" 'kay."

"You wanna stay here or somewhere else?"

"Not here... Please.... not here..." He didn't wanna wake up in this house again... Too much had happened for him to be okay with that. He usually loathed waking up in unfamiliar places, but right now? It was all he wanted.

"We'll get your stuff for you, You just take it easy okay? You've done enough tonight." Veronica said. JD gave her a quick nod and slumped over.

He was safe. He knew that now. He could rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I'm gonna split up the last two chapters so it isn't so big.  
> Me one week later: Goddamnit.
> 
> There's an epilogue coming up after this so stay tuned!


	7. Epilogue: Pancakes

The first time he woke up, it was only about an hour later. He was being moved somewhere, he thinks. He squirmed for a moment, complaining about his hunger once again. 

One small bag of sheep's blood later, and he was sleeping again.

The second time he woke up, everything hurt. His head, His hand, His stomach... All for different reasons, but all equally in pain. He curled up on whatever he was laying on, He guessed a mattress. 

He felt a familiar fabric laying over him. The denim texture of his trenchcoat was something he'd never thought he'd take for granted, yet he was appreciating having it back much more now. He rubbed his chin against it, letting it briefly distract him from his discomfort. 

He looked around the room for a moment. It was quaint, not very flashy... He could see a few of his clothes and other belongings neatly organized just across from him. His hamster on the bedside table, looking just as tuckered out as he was. The only difference between them being that it was actually asleep. 

He heard a door open, and looked over. Veronica had walked in, holding a plate of something.

"Oh! You're awake... Good." She said with a smile. He looked at her for another moment, trying to decide if this were real or not... He decided yes... Because he wouldn't dream about someone bringing him pancakes. He didn't hate them, but he didn't eat them either.

Veronica sat down beside him. She was on the ground, but she didn't seem to mind. 

"How you feeling?" 

"Kinda shitty." JD replied, "Kinda hungry."

"Thought you might be." Veronica said, lifting up a bag he hadn't noticed before, "Tuck said that you looked really unhealthy... So you're gonna have to limit your intake for a bit." 

"How did he know this?"

"He said he used to be a doctor... He seems pretty up-to-date on it, too." 

"Oh... Well, what kind of unhealthy?" He asked.

"Let's just call it slightly malnourished." She replied with a smirk.

He turned his head at the remark, confused. But he didn't pay it much mind. He placed the little tube of the hospital bag into his mouth, sucking on it. Veronica took a bite of her pancakes. It was a bit odd actually eating breakfast with another person. Actually, even just eating breakfast. Though he did admit he enjoyed it.

He took a break from his blood after a few moments. Letting himself breathe.

"Hey um... He didn't hurt you too bad, did he?" JD asked, twirling the tube in his fingers. Veronica shook her head.

"No... Gave me one hell of a knockout remedy, but I'm alright."

JD sighed. "Good..." He looked down at the bed-sheets. "Did... Did he really die?"

Veronica placed a hand on his own. "He did... We um... We went back, covered it up. Police think it was a suicide." 

"You... You did?"

"Yeah... We got worried if we left it as it was, it'd look like you did it... So we set up a scene and forged a note."

"They don't suspect anything?"

"Nope." 

JD laid back a little. He didn't really know how to feel about all of this right now. It kind of scared him... But, he supposed he had an eternity to figure it out. For now, he just wanted to rest for what he had left of his weekend.

His hamster squeaked besides him, more active than he'd ever seen it.

"What is it, little guy?" JD asked. The hamster just sniffed at the little door on it's cage. JD reached over, pulling it out for a moment and setting it on his lap. The rodent walked in a circle, then nestled itself on his coat... It's little body relaxing until it barely resembled that of an animal.

Veronica let out a soft laugh. "It almost looks like one of the Pancakes."

JD thought over it a moment. 

"Pancakes." He tested, giving his hamster another look. He then let out his own laugh.

"I've had this guy for 2 months, unnamed... And you just found the perfect one in 2 seconds." 

Veronica snorted. "I guess the best things happen as time passes on, huh?"

"Yeah... I guess." JD replied. 

They stayed quiet for a moment. Then, Veronica broke it.

"Hey, so. I don't know if you remember... But some kids from school sort of found out you were a vampire?"

JD stayed quiet for a moment.

"I have a feeling we'll figure something out." He said with confidence. 

They shared a look. Neither really sure how to describe it... Mischief, Assurance, maybe even a bit of Happiness.

But, at least for JD, there was a comfortable lack of fear... And that was all he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S FINALLY FINISHED.
> 
> Thanks everyone for all your nice comments! This was a very fun experience for me and I'm glad I was able to make something of this much quality in such a short time. Until next time!


End file.
